PREPARATION OF NOVEL INTERCALATION COMPOUNDS OF SILVER AND COPPER IN LAYERED PEROVSKITES, ALANB2O7

Novel intercalation compounds with silver and copper ions in the interlayers of layered perovskite-like parent materials, ALaNb2O7, have been prepared. Silver ions were readily intercalated by exchange between isovalent ions. Copper was intercalated by the reaction of copper(II) nitrate aqueous solution with n-C8H17NH3LaNb2O7. The attempted direct preparation of the sodium compound NaLaNb2O7 by the ceramic method was not successful, but it could be easily synthesized using a simple ion-exchange method. The lattice parameters of the intercalated compounds were estimated, and these indicated that the crystal structure of the parent materials had been retained. The intercalated state of copper was also examined. The silver intercalation compound was stable on heating to ca. 750-degrees-C in air without oxidation of silver, but decomposed at 760-degrees-C. On the other hand, the copper and sodium intercalated compounds decomposed at ca. 700 and 670-degrees-C, respectively.